LOUISIANA CRAWFISH (OR SHRIMP) CASSEROLE

Louisiana Crawfish (or Shrimp) Casserole image

Provided by Donna Graffagnino

Categories Seafood

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/4 c unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
1/2 c celery, finely chopped
1 can(s) cream of shrimp, mushroom, or celery soup
5 clove garlic, minced
1 lb la crawfish tails w/fat (or shrimp)
2 c cooked white rice
1/2 c green onions, sliced
1/2 c parsley, chopped
salt, pepper, creole seasoning to taste
tiny splash of liquid crab boil (zatarain's)
1 c seasoned italian bread crumbs (optional)
2 Tbsp butter, melted (optional)
grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In heavy pot saute diced onions, celery and bell pepper in butter for about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in soup and minced garlic and remove from heat. Add crawfish, (or shrimp), rice, green onions, parsley and liquid crab boil and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
3. Pour mixture in a buttered casserole dish. For breadcrumb topping, mix melted butter and breadcrumbs together until all butter is absorbed. Lightly sprinkle over seafood mixture, not too heavy. If not using breadcrumbs, top with grated cheese of your choice if desired.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. If casserole has been refrigerated, bake for 50 minutes. If frozen back for 1 hour 15 minutes covered with foil and remove foil the last 30 minutes. When cheese is nice and golden and casserole is hot and bubbly then it's done. Freezes well. Recipe can be doubled. Cream of Shrimp is mild and very good in this casserole. Cream of mushroom or celery is a little stronger but still has a good flavor. If you like mushrooms or rotel or diced tomatoes, feel free to add them.